Wednesday, September 28, 2011
BIRSAY VILLAGE TO NORTHSIDE September 7th 2011
We alighted at the Point of Buckquoy carpark to find the röst racing long tall waves onto the shore and up against the Brough of Birsay opposite. This race is nearly as strong as that running between Rousay and Evie (the Burgar Röst).The breeze was very strong and yet surprisingly warm! After a bit of a battle we reached Skipi/Skiba Geo. The reconstructed fisherman’s hoose only exposes a low profile to the walker. More obvious are the large nausts in an arc about this steep gateway to the sea, you can even see some of the stones these were built with. Some haul up for boats into these hollows! After a bit of indecision on my part, especially given the spotty weather, we decided to go on to the famous whalebone. After Skipi Geo's hut this was the second not found I had had. A little further along the cliff takes a sharp right to the Point of Nether Quina. No wonder I failed to find this before - I had expected some huge bony arch not summat 2-3 feet across mounted on a post. 'Small' but perfectly formed, it is the ‘dead spit’ of an owl in flight with downcurved wings (spookily so !).
Somewhere between the Point of Netherqueena and Siller-a-geo there is a place called Round Geo where a boulder in the short grass is one of the Mansie's Stones said to mark the route of St Magnus body, but I cannot find this geo named on any map past or present. Going by the name alone the sands of Skipi Geo would have been a match, giving a third such stone near a well, however this is the wrong side of the point to be Round Geo's location. But as we turned again to reach Northside I saw two large boulders near one another, and at Siller-a-geo a 1962 report says there is yet another Mansie's Stone as well as a very heavy modern block. Before or after this there is a narrow geo with lovely layer cake sides slightly bowed upwards. First the turf over soil with some stones of various shapes and sizes, then a shallower mid-brown layer. Next a layer without stones and finally a piece studded with small stones - couldn't see below that in the time allowed. In the distance, just short of Whitaloo Point with its well-stratified cliffs, my attention was drawn to two bright brick buildings. These are thought to have been the R/T for the radar station (now a domestic property) that once occupied both sides of the road at Hesta.
Turning east again passing the gap between two properties took us into Northside. Northside's neatness is a product of planking in the early Agricultural Improvements - hence Meikleplank in the vicinity. Planking started here in the mid-18th century mostly as a means of dividing up the brecks, land recently brought into cultivation, and was intended to be a little fairer than the old run-rig system (though in truth it was no more rational). Nearing the crossroads the Kitchener Memorial could be made out in the misty distant view. Having decided not to enter The Barony to view the mill we went down into Birsay village. Two of us went to the shop whilst the others went on and returned with the minibus. Our driver for the day, Sheena, being under par we all decided to forgo a meal out. The decision taken the sun then came out fully to see us home ! Though the predicted showers hadn't fully come to pass there were some nice atmospheric effects on the way home. One moment we saw twin rainbows, another a double rainbow, finally a mere portion of an out-of-focus rainbow set against cloud and having about it the quality of a snow shower glimpsed from afar.
We alighted at the Point of Buckquoy carpark to find the röst racing long tall waves onto the shore and up against the Brough of Birsay opposite. This race is nearly as strong as that running between Rousay and Evie (the Burgar Röst).The breeze was very strong and yet surprisingly warm! After a bit of a battle we reached Skipi/Skiba Geo. The reconstructed fisherman’s hoose only exposes a low profile to the walker. More obvious are the large nausts in an arc about this steep gateway to the sea, you can even see some of the stones these were built with. Some haul up for boats into these hollows! After a bit of indecision on my part, especially given the spotty weather, we decided to go on to the famous whalebone. After Skipi Geo's hut this was the second not found I had had. A little further along the cliff takes a sharp right to the Point of Nether Quina. No wonder I failed to find this before - I had expected some huge bony arch not summat 2-3 feet across mounted on a post. 'Small' but perfectly formed, it is the ‘dead spit’ of an owl in flight with downcurved wings (spookily so !).
Somewhere between the Point of Netherqueena and Siller-a-geo there is a place called Round Geo where a boulder in the short grass is one of the Mansie's Stones said to mark the route of St Magnus body, but I cannot find this geo named on any map past or present. Going by the name alone the sands of Skipi Geo would have been a match, giving a third such stone near a well, however this is the wrong side of the point to be Round Geo's location. But as we turned again to reach Northside I saw two large boulders near one another, and at Siller-a-geo a 1962 report says there is yet another Mansie's Stone as well as a very heavy modern block. Before or after this there is a narrow geo with lovely layer cake sides slightly bowed upwards. First the turf over soil with some stones of various shapes and sizes, then a shallower mid-brown layer. Next a layer without stones and finally a piece studded with small stones - couldn't see below that in the time allowed. In the distance, just short of Whitaloo Point with its well-stratified cliffs, my attention was drawn to two bright brick buildings. These are thought to have been the R/T for the radar station (now a domestic property) that once occupied both sides of the road at Hesta.
Turning east again passing the gap between two properties took us into Northside. Northside's neatness is a product of planking in the early Agricultural Improvements - hence Meikleplank in the vicinity. Planking started here in the mid-18th century mostly as a means of dividing up the brecks, land recently brought into cultivation, and was intended to be a little fairer than the old run-rig system (though in truth it was no more rational). Nearing the crossroads the Kitchener Memorial could be made out in the misty distant view. Having decided not to enter The Barony to view the mill we went down into Birsay village. Two of us went to the shop whilst the others went on and returned with the minibus. Our driver for the day, Sheena, being under par we all decided to forgo a meal out. The decision taken the sun then came out fully to see us home ! Though the predicted showers hadn't fully come to pass there were some nice atmospheric effects on the way home. One moment we saw twin rainbows, another a double rainbow, finally a mere portion of an out-of-focus rainbow set against cloud and having about it the quality of a snow shower glimpsed from afar.
Labels: Hesta, Mansie's Stone, nausts, nousts, planking, radar station, Skipi Geo
Monday, September 12, 2011
NEWARK SLIP TO AIKERSKAILL August 31st 2011
Passing over the narrow strip of land seperating St. Andrew's from Deerness at the place where the first road arc gives way to the second on the RH side at the bend is the beginning of two minor roads, taking the right fork (Geo Road) takes you past Delday to the 'new' Newark jetty. Near the fork the remains on your left are of the 19thC farmhouse of Cellardyke [cellar=siller 'silver', as in Siller-a-geo, but could be named for the Fife village] with its barn. We got out at the tiny car park high up above the beach.
Everyone but me stepped gingerly over the rock formation down to the beach. I took the path instead until I came to a rivulet in full spate that brooked no crossing by only inches - the present 1:25,000 shows a ford here but the 1882 25" only shows a watery alembic shape appearing from nothing, no burn or wellspring to mark its start. Trowietown above post-dates the first O.S. and is a 'greenfield' site. The stream flows onto the beach, where it finally became passable by rushing it.
Catching up to the rest as Newark came into view I mentioned that Norse skelly-wegs had been found here. So it was decided to leave the beach and get up onto the track so as to avoid any possibility of seeing the human bones that not infrequently erode out of the cliff-face above the taing of Lee Hamar. I would have loved to find something myself but I am not sure that we could have continued safely over the rocks anyway. The track passes between the buildings that make up the present farm. Just past the ones on the south side are the archaeological remains of a "manor house" and a chapel, including what is described as a souterrain. Unfortunately since my last visit nature has rather taken over the site, so I think my fellow walkers were a little underwhelmed when I pointed it out. It is mostly below ground level and yet stands well, however vegetation now covers the floors and climbs half-way up the walls (whose tops blend into their surroundings a little too well now).
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" I also pointed out the mound of Quoyburing 'broch enclosure' a.k.a. Howie o' Backland (Backland is the name given to the taing next to Lee Hamar, possibly evidence for greater erosion than currently known of from the Newark chapel - the old Work was perhaps located at the taing) that is split by a farmtrack from Skea to the shore, though this now mostly 'drain' above there. Even on it there is little to see. The biggest piece, and the tallest surviving part, is by the west side of the track. I assume that this is where the excavation of a 3m high wall took place and the broch tower stands. There is a ditch by the north side of this. As the site covers some 0.65 hectares outbuildings are suspected, and I would place these on that part near the east side of the track where there is a pool (though this lowering could always be due to earlier excavation).
I expected us to be going on to the Point of Ayre, but our itinerary was a circular route rather than the linear walk of other guides. And since my last visit a metal gate has been installed across the track by the end of the Aikerskaill Road to control entry to the last section of the latter. Beyond here there are the scant remains of an early mediaeval settlement at Howe Geo. On the 1882 map a very thin nearly N/S rectangle is drawn and a little further east an almost E/W aligned oblong enclosure. Alas the first is much destroyed and the second has become incorporated within the broad track (which surely came after). When I went I took no notice of a line of stones across the track. Then a few yards further on another turned the lightbulb on over my head, so I turned around and the building foundations were very then much evidence, though only one of the walls stood clearly still vertical and several courses high. I could make out the doorway and discern the interior. But could I do so still or has climate change exacted its toll of the stones, obscured by turf as with many another formerly visible site ? In which case even more underwhelming to those I wished to show it, so mebbe best left to my solitary investigations alas.
Instead our route turned left up Aikerskaill Road. Barely have you started on this than it feels as if the road has reared up in front of you like a wall of tarmac. Quite steep then. Once surmounted I realised that this led to Lighthouse, the last stop of the Deerness buses. Hadn't realised Lighthouse corner lay that near. Fortunately before then we turned right onto Quoys Road past Oback (when a 19thC cottage was demolished at Quoys in 1974 very strong evidence for a Norse settlement came to light). To me my first view of Oback looked like a typical old Orcadian school, or at least the building at the western end had that architectural look. In 1882 the track preceding the road went west only went as far as entering Oback, a track coming the other way stopping well short of Oback before both were joined to make the modern road. As I looke along the road I noticed a series of hills on the twilit horizon, drawing my attention. A must-have camera moment. We continued up to the junction with the road from Glenavon and then turned right again, back to Newark. Along the way we were much taken by the array of plants filling a garden fence and growing against it. One some of us felt we recognised, with many-fingered leaves most pleasant to gaze upon, but without flowers we could not put a name to it.
As we headed down the road I saw a large dun bird flying amongst the hollows and hillocks behind Newark. My first thought was whaup. Too dark a brown for curlew though, as though the bird had been dipped in various bark mulches is the best I can describe the plumage. And again the flight wasn't that upward whippoorwhill accompanied rise and long slow glide typical of a whaup. Instead it rose in short flights and then dropped down. Finally I realised this bird was a long-eared owl looking for prey and at last finding it. I have vague recollections that these undulating features covered a settlement. CANMAP only shows the chapel site but Canmore Mapping does have a record 'dot' in the right area. Unfortunately the beta does not have an info button to direct us to that road - I wonder if this could be the 'mystery' dig I was taken to in 1986, would be so good to finally put a name to it. There is a possible mound recorded near Little Cottage, and there are similar features to those behind Newark a little east of south of Little Cottage (in a smaller area though). Could all simply be buried dunes though.
After a slight detour I joined the rest of the party on the beach. The sea had well receded now and I scurried through left behind pools to reach the new tideline. To me this is always the best part of a beach, the limin of old tide and new, province of seabirds and scatty dogs and me (and the occasional shellfisherman oot for spoots [razorshells] ). The jetty is more complicated than I thought. My attempts to climb up it were thwarted by slippery seaweeds. As I went over to a corner I spotted hard into it a small arrangement of triangular stones that must have been put there for just such a predicament. Some followed in my steps whilst others crawled over the batter of the seawall flags. On the cliff there is an art installation comprising two pieces of old machinery. Their shadowed shapes brought to mind an antique Springer sewing machine.
Back in the minibus we decided to go ahead with a meal at the Quoyburray Inn over in Tankerness (close to the St Andrew's Community Centre and the 'Mine Howe road' - I am not sure Mine Howe is open even in the tourist season except by prior arrangement now if a tourist is correct). As evening meals had only just started we had the eating section to ourselves throughout. The cauliflower I found cooked right, neither turned to mush like mine often is or nor barely cooked as at the last place we had been. The windows here provide an unusual view as the inn is sunk into the ground behind so that their bottoms are level with the track.
Passing over the narrow strip of land seperating St. Andrew's from Deerness at the place where the first road arc gives way to the second on the RH side at the bend is the beginning of two minor roads, taking the right fork (Geo Road) takes you past Delday to the 'new' Newark jetty. Near the fork the remains on your left are of the 19thC farmhouse of Cellardyke [cellar=siller 'silver', as in Siller-a-geo, but could be named for the Fife village] with its barn. We got out at the tiny car park high up above the beach.
Everyone but me stepped gingerly over the rock formation down to the beach. I took the path instead until I came to a rivulet in full spate that brooked no crossing by only inches - the present 1:25,000 shows a ford here but the 1882 25" only shows a watery alembic shape appearing from nothing, no burn or wellspring to mark its start. Trowietown above post-dates the first O.S. and is a 'greenfield' site. The stream flows onto the beach, where it finally became passable by rushing it.
Catching up to the rest as Newark came into view I mentioned that Norse skelly-wegs had been found here. So it was decided to leave the beach and get up onto the track so as to avoid any possibility of seeing the human bones that not infrequently erode out of the cliff-face above the taing of Lee Hamar. I would have loved to find something myself but I am not sure that we could have continued safely over the rocks anyway. The track passes between the buildings that make up the present farm. Just past the ones on the south side are the archaeological remains of a "manor house" and a chapel, including what is described as a souterrain. Unfortunately since my last visit nature has rather taken over the site, so I think my fellow walkers were a little underwhelmed when I pointed it out. It is mostly below ground level and yet stands well, however vegetation now covers the floors and climbs half-way up the walls (whose tops blend into their surroundings a little too well now).
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" I also pointed out the mound of Quoyburing 'broch enclosure' a.k.a. Howie o' Backland (Backland is the name given to the taing next to Lee Hamar, possibly evidence for greater erosion than currently known of from the Newark chapel - the old Work was perhaps located at the taing) that is split by a farmtrack from Skea to the shore, though this now mostly 'drain' above there. Even on it there is little to see. The biggest piece, and the tallest surviving part, is by the west side of the track. I assume that this is where the excavation of a 3m high wall took place and the broch tower stands. There is a ditch by the north side of this. As the site covers some 0.65 hectares outbuildings are suspected, and I would place these on that part near the east side of the track where there is a pool (though this lowering could always be due to earlier excavation).
I expected us to be going on to the Point of Ayre, but our itinerary was a circular route rather than the linear walk of other guides. And since my last visit a metal gate has been installed across the track by the end of the Aikerskaill Road to control entry to the last section of the latter. Beyond here there are the scant remains of an early mediaeval settlement at Howe Geo. On the 1882 map a very thin nearly N/S rectangle is drawn and a little further east an almost E/W aligned oblong enclosure. Alas the first is much destroyed and the second has become incorporated within the broad track (which surely came after). When I went I took no notice of a line of stones across the track. Then a few yards further on another turned the lightbulb on over my head, so I turned around and the building foundations were very then much evidence, though only one of the walls stood clearly still vertical and several courses high. I could make out the doorway and discern the interior. But could I do so still or has climate change exacted its toll of the stones, obscured by turf as with many another formerly visible site ? In which case even more underwhelming to those I wished to show it, so mebbe best left to my solitary investigations alas.
Instead our route turned left up Aikerskaill Road. Barely have you started on this than it feels as if the road has reared up in front of you like a wall of tarmac. Quite steep then. Once surmounted I realised that this led to Lighthouse, the last stop of the Deerness buses. Hadn't realised Lighthouse corner lay that near. Fortunately before then we turned right onto Quoys Road past Oback (when a 19thC cottage was demolished at Quoys in 1974 very strong evidence for a Norse settlement came to light). To me my first view of Oback looked like a typical old Orcadian school, or at least the building at the western end had that architectural look. In 1882 the track preceding the road went west only went as far as entering Oback, a track coming the other way stopping well short of Oback before both were joined to make the modern road. As I looke along the road I noticed a series of hills on the twilit horizon, drawing my attention. A must-have camera moment. We continued up to the junction with the road from Glenavon and then turned right again, back to Newark. Along the way we were much taken by the array of plants filling a garden fence and growing against it. One some of us felt we recognised, with many-fingered leaves most pleasant to gaze upon, but without flowers we could not put a name to it.
As we headed down the road I saw a large dun bird flying amongst the hollows and hillocks behind Newark. My first thought was whaup. Too dark a brown for curlew though, as though the bird had been dipped in various bark mulches is the best I can describe the plumage. And again the flight wasn't that upward whippoorwhill accompanied rise and long slow glide typical of a whaup. Instead it rose in short flights and then dropped down. Finally I realised this bird was a long-eared owl looking for prey and at last finding it. I have vague recollections that these undulating features covered a settlement. CANMAP only shows the chapel site but Canmore Mapping does have a record 'dot' in the right area. Unfortunately the beta does not have an info button to direct us to that road - I wonder if this could be the 'mystery' dig I was taken to in 1986, would be so good to finally put a name to it. There is a possible mound recorded near Little Cottage, and there are similar features to those behind Newark a little east of south of Little Cottage (in a smaller area though). Could all simply be buried dunes though.
After a slight detour I joined the rest of the party on the beach. The sea had well receded now and I scurried through left behind pools to reach the new tideline. To me this is always the best part of a beach, the limin of old tide and new, province of seabirds and scatty dogs and me (and the occasional shellfisherman oot for spoots [razorshells] ). The jetty is more complicated than I thought. My attempts to climb up it were thwarted by slippery seaweeds. As I went over to a corner I spotted hard into it a small arrangement of triangular stones that must have been put there for just such a predicament. Some followed in my steps whilst others crawled over the batter of the seawall flags. On the cliff there is an art installation comprising two pieces of old machinery. Their shadowed shapes brought to mind an antique Springer sewing machine.
Back in the minibus we decided to go ahead with a meal at the Quoyburray Inn over in Tankerness (close to the St Andrew's Community Centre and the 'Mine Howe road' - I am not sure Mine Howe is open even in the tourist season except by prior arrangement now if a tourist is correct). As evening meals had only just started we had the eating section to ourselves throughout. The cauliflower I found cooked right, neither turned to mush like mine often is or nor barely cooked as at the last place we had been. The windows here provide an unusual view as the inn is sunk into the ground behind so that their bottoms are level with the track.
Labels: Howe Geo, Howie o' Backland, Little Cottage, Newark Bay, Newark chapel, Oback, Quoyburing, Quoyburray Inn
Friday, September 09, 2011
BAY OF SKAILL AUGUST 18th 2011
Another trip with the Blide Trust is diverted. Twice. We are going to go on a walk that takes in Skara Brae and Quoyloo church, so I suggest the Brodgar road - just over the Black Hill of Warbuster a minor road goes above the top of the Loch of Stenness, past Lyking broch and through Voyatown, onto the B9056 then north by the Loch of Skaill with its 19thC fishing islet before reaching the Bay of Skaill. But Patrick turns at the Harray junction instead and onto Dounby. Okay, I thought, the B9057 runs through it and west into Sandwick onto the Kierfiold road then Skaill. But onward he goes and by the Loch of Boardhouse. Ah we all think, the scenic route to come upon Skaill from the heights. Except it becomes apparent Patrick is headed for Birsay. Turns out he thought today's walk was based there. So we turn left and take the back road to the Skaill kirk i.e. the B9056 by way of Marwick instead of the A967 down to the Kierfiold road - disappointed to learn the Kierfiold House gardens are under new owners and (Sheena thinks) no longer open for public viewing. It was a brilliantly sunny evening with a crystal clear sky letting us clearly see far hills on the horizon for miles in every direction, with neither haze nor mist casting a veil over land or sea.
We parked near the Skara Brae interpretation centre as per the itinerary but didn't visit the village, not wanting to fork out the £6 each. Instead of going all along the road we went down to the beach near the far end of the HS site's fence, passing over a band of water-worn stones onto the deep sandy beach. You can see how the sea walls built to preserve the Skara Brae site are heavily eroded, see where what was once a millstream comes down - in front of the mill is where leaves and bark from a now submerged forest came, relics of the time before Skerrabrae disappeared under the sands and the settlement still thrived. After reaching the toilet block we left the beach and crossed over road verges star studded with eyebright. An old farm track passes in front of what is now called the Castle of Snusgar (excavations shew it went out of use in mediaeval times but the castle seen from a 19thC coach going along the coastline had been a building still standing. Nothing unusual to have two castles near each other in Orkney though). At a junction we turned left and had the present Snusgar excavation on our right close by the ? Burn of Rin. As we only set off from Kirkwall at four the sight of diggers still on the site surprised me, especially as I hadn't realised it was still on (this must have been the final week or two of their season, with a Viking longhouse this year's highlight.). From this section of track we had the most perfect view of the Hole o' Row at the other end of the Bay of Skaill, the whole hole fully side on. As we continued up they started leaving the hillock for their transport at Netherstove, Between here and there another track went right at a junction, and I made the mistake of thinking it not part of the itinerary [because it is even more overgrown than where we trod]. As at this point everyone took my lead it wasn't until after we turned left and hit the main road that the time discrepancy became obvious.
Going down to the parish kirk a small building on the other side of the road from this used to be a stable, unlikely though it seems. The rest of the group went by the kirkyard but I brought them back to see an unusual ornament I had seen on my last visit there, a small carved block of stone resembling a deep heart-shaped jewellery casket about a foot long. By coincidence Heart is the name of a friend of the team leader who had only just gone back to New Zealand [or Australia perhaps]. It made me think of two detached architectural pieces not dissimilarly placed at the edge of the Stenness kirkyard, though the heart-shaped box could be sepulchral instead. From here we carefully climbed down to the beach once more.
Now we changed the route and followed another member's suggestion, a walk to the modern cairn on Ward Hill. Approaching Hellia Gibb we looked up and saw the labradoodle cross that had come with us walking the narrow piece between fence and cliff-edge up above. My memory said I had taken the same route myself once, but now I think vegetation hides the way which could have also be straiter since then. Past Hellia Gibb there is now a metal rail to help you come up from the rocky taing onto the cliffs more safely. The clifftops are mostly shattered stone and Patrick decided to walk near the edge of the first bite in the cliffs, Yettna Geo, until someone called him back from what they saw as danger - actually the worst parts of Orkney's coastline are the unnoticed overhangs, and in East Holm the huge circular Hole of The Ness is many metres back from the cliff-edge and disguised until you are almost on top of it ! Coming near myself, I was greeted by the shadowed sides of Yettna Geo gating a clear sky blazing in the light afternoon sun between them like the portal to a land of far away. This was high summer with twilight a long time coming. So we were grateful to finally reach the solace of the modern cairn. Even the labradoodle rested.
Far to the south I saw a distant high cliff headland with a single upright pillar just offshore. I found myself in two minds because though I knew it to be one end of Hoy the name that came to me for the rock stack was the Castle of Yesnaby. Of course as soon as I spoke my identification out loud to great laughter this was corrected to the Old Man of Hoy. Which meant it took a long time before they accepted where the Yesnaby car park lay, and it can't have helped that I referred to the Brough of Bigging with its promontory fort as the Noust of Bigging (the boat naust back of its neck). Between us and the Broch of Borwick lies the long thin chasm of Ramna Geo and the Ness of Ramnageo. Between Ramna Geo and the Broch of Borwick ( a few hundred metres to the north of the latter) an Irish visitor to Orkney told me he saw what appeared to be a monastic beehive cell like those of early mediaeval Ireland. The same (or something surely related) in a 1964 newspaper account is reported as bowl-shaped with an opening at the stone-built side. It would be nice if this had been what I at first mistook fror the broch. At high mag it looks like an upturned terraced quarry or a multi-tiered cake stand. Matching the exposed rock about it I am reminded on the polystyrene landscapes we made in geography, the piled tiles cut to the map contours before we smoothed them out. But this feature by the cliff-edge is hard by the southern side of Ramna Geo, so unless the proximity is a trick of perspective this cannot be that cell. Shoot !
Eventually came the time to head off back, for despite the light by the clock eventide had indeed turned. I had been hoping to go via Skaill Home Farm (The Mount in 1882) to look at the several old foundations along the way, but the kie were everywhere. Skaill House shone ghostly below, a place much haunted by the denizens of an olden graveyard now buried beneath the house. I forgot to mention that between taing and our climb up on land again we did walk alongside the fence before the way narrowed too far. Between us and the shore we pass by the remains of some old structure, still feeling like a building but to official reports only a wall of several courses and a midden. When I finally get off the shore I'm so hot my hair is sweating and I have to go topless in order to cool down (over the next week several folk at the trust feel hotter than the rest at different times, so something going around is my guess). I am told that it is wrong to say that my hair is sweating because hair is dead. Technically true. But the sebaceous glands at the roots of your hair are alive and my hair becomes saturated by sweat. So all I am guilty of is not using the phrase "my hair is sweaty", which is nit-picking rather. Rant over ! Of course now that seatbelts are compulsory you don't have the option of leaning forward to stay cool so I perforce have to put my T-shirt back on. Much too late for a joint meal so we head back to Kirkwall. We arrive after eight, having been gone four hours.
Another trip with the Blide Trust is diverted. Twice. We are going to go on a walk that takes in Skara Brae and Quoyloo church, so I suggest the Brodgar road - just over the Black Hill of Warbuster a minor road goes above the top of the Loch of Stenness, past Lyking broch and through Voyatown, onto the B9056 then north by the Loch of Skaill with its 19thC fishing islet before reaching the Bay of Skaill. But Patrick turns at the Harray junction instead and onto Dounby. Okay, I thought, the B9057 runs through it and west into Sandwick onto the Kierfiold road then Skaill. But onward he goes and by the Loch of Boardhouse. Ah we all think, the scenic route to come upon Skaill from the heights. Except it becomes apparent Patrick is headed for Birsay. Turns out he thought today's walk was based there. So we turn left and take the back road to the Skaill kirk i.e. the B9056 by way of Marwick instead of the A967 down to the Kierfiold road - disappointed to learn the Kierfiold House gardens are under new owners and (Sheena thinks) no longer open for public viewing. It was a brilliantly sunny evening with a crystal clear sky letting us clearly see far hills on the horizon for miles in every direction, with neither haze nor mist casting a veil over land or sea.
We parked near the Skara Brae interpretation centre as per the itinerary but didn't visit the village, not wanting to fork out the £6 each. Instead of going all along the road we went down to the beach near the far end of the HS site's fence, passing over a band of water-worn stones onto the deep sandy beach. You can see how the sea walls built to preserve the Skara Brae site are heavily eroded, see where what was once a millstream comes down - in front of the mill is where leaves and bark from a now submerged forest came, relics of the time before Skerrabrae disappeared under the sands and the settlement still thrived. After reaching the toilet block we left the beach and crossed over road verges star studded with eyebright. An old farm track passes in front of what is now called the Castle of Snusgar (excavations shew it went out of use in mediaeval times but the castle seen from a 19thC coach going along the coastline had been a building still standing. Nothing unusual to have two castles near each other in Orkney though). At a junction we turned left and had the present Snusgar excavation on our right close by the ? Burn of Rin. As we only set off from Kirkwall at four the sight of diggers still on the site surprised me, especially as I hadn't realised it was still on (this must have been the final week or two of their season, with a Viking longhouse this year's highlight.). From this section of track we had the most perfect view of the Hole o' Row at the other end of the Bay of Skaill, the whole hole fully side on. As we continued up they started leaving the hillock for their transport at Netherstove, Between here and there another track went right at a junction, and I made the mistake of thinking it not part of the itinerary [because it is even more overgrown than where we trod]. As at this point everyone took my lead it wasn't until after we turned left and hit the main road that the time discrepancy became obvious.
Going down to the parish kirk a small building on the other side of the road from this used to be a stable, unlikely though it seems. The rest of the group went by the kirkyard but I brought them back to see an unusual ornament I had seen on my last visit there, a small carved block of stone resembling a deep heart-shaped jewellery casket about a foot long. By coincidence Heart is the name of a friend of the team leader who had only just gone back to New Zealand [or Australia perhaps]. It made me think of two detached architectural pieces not dissimilarly placed at the edge of the Stenness kirkyard, though the heart-shaped box could be sepulchral instead. From here we carefully climbed down to the beach once more.
Now we changed the route and followed another member's suggestion, a walk to the modern cairn on Ward Hill. Approaching Hellia Gibb we looked up and saw the labradoodle cross that had come with us walking the narrow piece between fence and cliff-edge up above. My memory said I had taken the same route myself once, but now I think vegetation hides the way which could have also be straiter since then. Past Hellia Gibb there is now a metal rail to help you come up from the rocky taing onto the cliffs more safely. The clifftops are mostly shattered stone and Patrick decided to walk near the edge of the first bite in the cliffs, Yettna Geo, until someone called him back from what they saw as danger - actually the worst parts of Orkney's coastline are the unnoticed overhangs, and in East Holm the huge circular Hole of The Ness is many metres back from the cliff-edge and disguised until you are almost on top of it ! Coming near myself, I was greeted by the shadowed sides of Yettna Geo gating a clear sky blazing in the light afternoon sun between them like the portal to a land of far away. This was high summer with twilight a long time coming. So we were grateful to finally reach the solace of the modern cairn. Even the labradoodle rested.
Far to the south I saw a distant high cliff headland with a single upright pillar just offshore. I found myself in two minds because though I knew it to be one end of Hoy the name that came to me for the rock stack was the Castle of Yesnaby. Of course as soon as I spoke my identification out loud to great laughter this was corrected to the Old Man of Hoy. Which meant it took a long time before they accepted where the Yesnaby car park lay, and it can't have helped that I referred to the Brough of Bigging with its promontory fort as the Noust of Bigging (the boat naust back of its neck). Between us and the Broch of Borwick lies the long thin chasm of Ramna Geo and the Ness of Ramnageo. Between Ramna Geo and the Broch of Borwick ( a few hundred metres to the north of the latter) an Irish visitor to Orkney told me he saw what appeared to be a monastic beehive cell like those of early mediaeval Ireland. The same (or something surely related) in a 1964 newspaper account is reported as bowl-shaped with an opening at the stone-built side. It would be nice if this had been what I at first mistook fror the broch. At high mag it looks like an upturned terraced quarry or a multi-tiered cake stand. Matching the exposed rock about it I am reminded on the polystyrene landscapes we made in geography, the piled tiles cut to the map contours before we smoothed them out. But this feature by the cliff-edge is hard by the southern side of Ramna Geo, so unless the proximity is a trick of perspective this cannot be that cell. Shoot !
Eventually came the time to head off back, for despite the light by the clock eventide had indeed turned. I had been hoping to go via Skaill Home Farm (The Mount in 1882) to look at the several old foundations along the way, but the kie were everywhere. Skaill House shone ghostly below, a place much haunted by the denizens of an olden graveyard now buried beneath the house. I forgot to mention that between taing and our climb up on land again we did walk alongside the fence before the way narrowed too far. Between us and the shore we pass by the remains of some old structure, still feeling like a building but to official reports only a wall of several courses and a midden. When I finally get off the shore I'm so hot my hair is sweating and I have to go topless in order to cool down (over the next week several folk at the trust feel hotter than the rest at different times, so something going around is my guess). I am told that it is wrong to say that my hair is sweating because hair is dead. Technically true. But the sebaceous glands at the roots of your hair are alive and my hair becomes saturated by sweat. So all I am guilty of is not using the phrase "my hair is sweaty", which is nit-picking rather. Rant over ! Of course now that seatbelts are compulsory you don't have the option of leaning forward to stay cool so I perforce have to put my T-shirt back on. Much too late for a joint meal so we head back to Kirkwall. We arrive after eight, having been gone four hours.
Labels: Bay of Skaill, Castle of Snusgar, Ramna Geo, Sandwick, Skara Brae, Yettna Geo
